Does it Make Sense to Use a Cheap Flight Alert Service?
We all love a great flight deal. For some of us, it’s a chance to visit a new destination we didn’t think was possible. For others, a chance to visit family or friends. However, in our increasingly busy lives, it seems like there’s less time in the day to search for those deals.
A few weeks ago, an incredible first class deal from Qantas popped up. The deal was for round trip airfare from Bangkok to Australia for $500. Unfortunately, the deal lasted less than an hour and was pulled just before we could get something posted. I’m not saying this just to say, “hey, look what you missed out on!” None of us were able to take advantage of it either.
It did get me to thinking though – does it make sense to use a cheap flights alert service?
What’s a cheap flight alert service?
The name is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The premise behind sites like these is pretty simple. You sign up for email alerts and when there’s a flight deal, they’ll email you. As people have sought out ways to save on flights, services like Scott’s Cheap Flights and Notiflyr have gained popularity in recent years.
Why would someone sign up for one of these?
It Saves Time
Incredible first class deal from Bangkok to AustraliaContrary to popular belief, most travel bloggers don’t do this full-time. We have day jobs, go to school, etc. After all, we have to pay for these flights somehow. It’s a problem I’m sure most of us can relate to. There’s only so much time in the day and we don’t have time to constantly check for flight deals. Inevitably, some of these deals will slip through the cracks.
By signing up for one of these subscription services, you don’t have to spend time every day scanning Google Flights. Instead, when there’s a deal, you’ll get an email notification.
You Get All Your Deals in One Place
Instead of having to search multiple sites or sources at once, a cheap flight alert service will send the best deals straight to your inbox. While it may reduce your resources, there’s something to be said for the simplicity of it.
If it’s free, why wouldn’t you sign up for a cheap flight alert service?
You Might Not Get Deals as Fast Without Premium
While most of these services offer a free version, there is usually also a premium version. The premium version typically gives you a head start on free subscribers or access to more deals.
Cost
As noted above, many sites have a free version of the site. If you want the premium subscription, it will typically run you anywhere from $20 to $40 per year.
You Can do it Yourself
Google Flights search barBelieve it or not, some of the best resources available are free! You can setup up to 100 Google Flight alerts for free. There are also other resources like Flyertalk and Facebook groups where people will gladly share deals for the greater good. If you’ve got the time, these can be great ways to broaden your search for the best deals.
You Can Often Get the Same Stuff for Free From Blogs
Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a shameless plug 🙂 To stay up to date on the latest deals, subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
There are also some other great bloggers on BoardingArea that do a fantastic job of finding and sharing the best deals in premium and coach. Best of all? These are all free!
Final Thoughts
There’s absolutely no harm in signing up for free cheap flight alerts. It’s nearly impossible to keep up with all the deals that come in every day. They’re a convenient way to have deals delivered to your inbox as they come along. I’ve signed up for a few of them myself.
Try the service for free first. It’s up to you to decide whether premium service is worth it over the free version. The cost can easily be recouped in savings from one booking, but there are a lot of great free resources out there too.
